Interior ministry sets Nov. 1 start for autumn wildfire watch, citing 44 fires a year

The interior ministry said Thursday it will run its autumn wildfire caution period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15, opening a standing support headquarters and coordinating 36 central and local agencies after an average of 44 wildfires a year burned 21 hectares of forest during the same window over the past decade.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety convened the interagency meeting under Kim Kwang-yong, head of the disaster and safety management headquarters, to review prevention, readiness and response systems before the season begins. Autumn combines dry weather and strong winds with the burning of agricultural waste and a rise in hikers during the foliage season, the ministry said.

The standing support headquarters at the ministry will monitor fire conditions throughout the caution period and share response updates among agencies in real time. If a fire spreads or conditions worsen, the ministry will call a situation assessment meeting and dispatch field situation managers immediately.

The Korea Forest Service and local governments will operate a central accident response headquarters and regional wildfire prevention centers, strengthening patrols and surveillance, and will commit firefighting helicopters and other resources quickly and evacuate residents preemptively when spread is feared. The agriculture ministry and the Rural Development Administration will support the shredding of farm byproducts near forests, while the climate, energy and environment ministry will step up removal of dangerous trees around power facilities and crack down on open burning, including illegal fires in national parks.

The defense ministry will keep 143 military helicopters ready for deployment, and the National Fire Agency will expand the firefighting force it mobilizes. The ministry asked the public to refrain from burning farm waste or trash near forests and to report fires or smoke to 119 immediately.

Kim said close cooperation between agencies had limited wildfire damage last spring and must continue into the autumn. "When a wildfire breaks out, do your utmost on initial suppression and respond quickly with resident safety as the top priority so that we prevent loss of life," he said.